For the Prosperity of Aquor
by Sorceress Myst
Summary: When Nel set out to rescue her subordinates, she didn't anticipate becoming intimate with the captain of the Black Brigade. Now she must figure out her feelings while honoring her father's legacy. An AR re-telling of Star Ocean 3. Sample chapters.
1. Sample 1

Hi everyone! I'm back in the fandom with a new AlNel! This was formerly part of a group project where every chapter is written by a different author, but only one other person wrote another chapter. I'm continuing this story on my own, so with the exception of chapter 2, which was written by Lorelai Kline, the rest of the writing is mine.

This story will only be updated on adultfanficiton(dot)net because it will contain explicit sex scenes not suitable for this site. This is only a sample to tell all my fans here that there is a new AlNel story out. Go to my author profile and click on the 'For the Prosperity of Aquor' link to see the whole uncut version. It will be updated weekly over there.

Also please heed this **warning:** While the chapters shown here do not contain lemon scenes, the plot of the story will involve adult themes and you can only read it on the site where I will be posting the entire story. If you are under 18 or do not like mature stories, then click back now before you get too attached to this story.

One more thing: I apologize in advance for any punctuation errors still in here. Commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks disappeared when I loaded this in the Doc Manager. I tried to replace them all, but I might've missed some.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or any of its characters. They are the property of SquareEnix.

Chapter one

Hidden Attraction

They were both sleeping peacefully in their beds. Even the most skilled warrior would be tired after all that trouble they had escaping the Airyglyph dungeons and traveling to Arias. Nel couldn't blame them, nor could she bear to wake them. It was only yesterday in Kirlsa when she received news that her two most faithful subordinates, Tynave and Farleen were in the hands of the Black Brigade. She needed to rescue them and yet she had to abandon her mission. She didn't want to, but the safety of her soldiers came first.

Nel began to ponder why she even came into their room in the first place. She knew they were asleep, so why bother? As much as she didn't want to admit it, she grew attached to the two strange engineers. Fayt was a very kind boy who cared about other people. Nel would never reveal it out loud, but she was quite touched that he asked about the well being of her subordinates when anyone else would inquire if they had passed on.

Cliff on the other hand was a funny and somewhat lecherous man (though he was apparently joking about being a pervert) who nearly made her smile countless times. It was rare to break her out of her serious nature, but the blonde man had a way of lightening the mood to the point where she could make a few light jokes of her own.

But she had to let them go, they were not her responsibility anymore. And yet she felt the need to at least say good bye, but she instead settled for bowing to their sleeping forms and hastily left their room. The only person who knew about her mission was Clair and not even she could stop her friend. Nels mind was set so it was final.

"I'll take good care of those two, so don't worry about them," Nel's silver haired friend assured as the Crimson Blade was about to head out the front door.

"Thank you. Be careful getting to Aquios, there may still be some Glyphian agents after them."

"Don't worry about it, I can handle this, but still I'm worried about you. This is obviously a trap-"

"But what can I do?" Nel interjected, "I cant leave Tynave and Farleen in their hands anymore than us giving them the engineers. Plus, something strange is going on. We both know that Albel the Wicked doesn't take hostages. Also, why does he want Fayt and Cliff when we all know that he's not seeking a promotion? None of this fits."

"I know," Clair eventually agreed with downcast eyes, "But be careful anyway, may the grace of Apris be with you."

Nel nodded as her friend bowed. Clair bit her lip in worry as her red haired friend left.

* * *

><p>The Kirlsa Training Facility loomed over her in the pre dawn light. This was the place where her loyal subordinates and good friends were being held captive. This was where the Black Brigade reside, where her enemies, Albel the Wicked and Shelby the Heavy Handed, were. Many lives have been lost there, mostly Aquarians and other followers of Apris. At first, the building was supposed to be a place to train dragon knights, but now it was an intimidating and dark prison. This was not a safe place to be, especially for an Aquarian spy. But considering the circumstances, Nel refused to be intimidated. This was not a time to be timid, the lives of her soldiers were at stake.<p>

It _was_ by far the most suicidal mission she had ever undertaken, but it was possible to escape unscathed as long as she had a good plan. All she needed to do was to sneak in, ambush a guard, and steal their armor. Then she could search for Farleen and Tynave under the guise of a Black Brigade soldier. But above all, she must not...

"Enjoying the view Aquarian?"

...be seen.

This was not her day. Not only was she caught, she knew who the voice belonged to. Of all people, why did Albel the Wicked had to be behind her? Nel hadn't had the chance to sleep and she hadn't had the time to properly heal herself. Also, she didn't have any available healing items. She was in no condition to fight someone like him.

"Albel", she spat in a low voice. She refused to turn around in fear of letting him see her doubt.

"So you heard of me." She could almost _hear_ the smirk on his face when he said it.

He took another step closer to her, "Let me see your face, woman. I'd like to know who is intruding on _my_ lands."

There was power and possessiveness in his dark voice, like his words were a runological spell to cast fear into the victim. Ignoring his tone, Nel steeled her nerves and slowly turned to face the Glyphian with a glare.

Albel's blood colored orbs studied her for a minute before they widened in recognition, "Why if it isn't Nel Zelpher, how kind of you to grace me with your presence."

He then gave an exaggerated bow, "What brings you to my lair?"

Nel watched him carefully as he straightened up from his bow and rested his claw over the scabbard of his sword. It was a deceiving stance and she knew she was a goner if she had tried to attack. She readied her hands to grab her daggers in case he decided to attack first.

"I'm not here to play your mind games! I came to rescue my subordinates that you are holding hostage!"

"Hostage? So Shelby _is_ defying me, how interesting," Albel muttered to himself as he paced around her and glanced at the entrance, "I ordered him to throw your ...subordinates out because they possessed no challenge to me. Well fret not, I will have them released as soon as possible."

She tried not to look surprised. Was this some joke? At least it made sense why Tynave and Farleen were captured by the Black Brigade. Everyone in Aquaria knew that Shelby wanted to surpass Albel and become the captain. What didn't make sense, however, was that _Albel the Wicked _was going to let them go alive and without a fight. What was he trying to pull? They were in the middle of a war and releasing enemies like that could get him in trouble with his country not that Nel was concerned about his well being.

"Really? How unusually not wicked of you," she muttered while resisting the urge to look at him in the face.

"Don't go thanking me. Your subordinates are free to go, but who said anything about your freedom?"

Nel involuntarily stiffened before he stopped in his pacing behind her, "I should have known. But I've never known you to take hostages."

"Well what do you expect? Aquarian or not, you're still trespassing on my lands," he paused and Nel had to restrain herself from running when she felt him step into her personal space, "And you seem a bit too tired to fight me. I don't like punishing tired soldiers. Its not very fair, nor is it fun."

This time she couldn't stop herself from pulling away and sharply faced him when she felt his human hand running across her cheek, "Since when did you care about being fair? You led a surprise attack on Arias!"

"Those were orders from my king," he interjected, appearing to be amused from her reaction. What was she doing? It didn't matter if Albel wasn't acting as heartless as he was named, they were still at war and she couldn't afford to have a conversation with him outside when Tynave and Farleen were probably being tortured within the facility. The only way out was to fight.

"Fine, you say I'm trespassing and want to fight me, then lets fight!"

The rather annoying smirk on his face only grew larger on his face, making him look even more menacing, "Wouldn't you want to rest first? If you fight me in your condition, then you will die."

"A small sacrifice if it means the safe return of my subordinates," she replied with an even glance.

"You have my word that they will be released, regardless of whether we fight now or later."

"But even so, you are going to waste time by taking me to a prison cell and make sure that I won't escape while my soldiers are being tortured by your men. It would be quicker to fight now and get this over with."

"If you say so," he said, giving her an appreciative glance. In one fluid motion, his sword was out and pointed at her, "Come at me then!"

She wasted no time in unsheathing her daggers and charging at him. It was a really reckless move, but she was desperate. Maybe if she were to catch him off guard, then she might be able to win the battle. She knew it was a hopeless thought as he easily blocked her attack with his claw. Even though she wasn't in top form, most of the warriors still had a hard time in defeating her in battle, but Albel seemed that he wasn't even breaking a sweat. He had no trouble in keeping up with her fast movements. She also noticed, to her ire, that he wasn't even trying to attack her. He was toying with her!

Nel had to do something reckless again, she had to anger him so that he would strike. Even if it would cost her life, she needed the battle to end soon, for Tynave and Farleen. She began chanting a low level firebolt spell under her breath before she ran up to him and knocked away his sword with her dagger and then dodged his claw. She waited until she was close enough to his body to release the spell, leaving a scorch mark on his lower arm. She had to use a low level spell because she didn't have much mental energy left. Even if she was fighting like she wanted to die, she was still going to try to find a way to stay alive.

Albel looked stunned, but not in pain once the spell died off, she used this to her advantage and swung her dagger towards his body. He was able to come to his senses and back away before her blade could cause any serious damage to him, but a cut still managed to appear on his chest. Soon the purple shirt he always wore began to darken with crimson blood.

"Yes..." he mumbled with a feral grin, "It has been a long time since anyone drew my blood!"

Nel slightly blanched as she landed on the ground. She was supposed to anger him, not impress him. His eyes weren't calculating her movements or trying to find a weak point in her fighting stance, he was merely observing her like an instructor watching his student. What was he thinking? Wasn't he supposed to destroy his enemies?

"And to think that you are not at full strength right now," he continued, his voice void of the scorn he should have. But what he said next really surprised the Aquarian spy, "It's a pity that you're an Aquarian, you would have made an excellent Glyphian soldier."

"What?" she nearly shouted before she steeled herself to attack again, "I would rather die than to become a Glyphian!"

"What a pity," he drawled as he effortlessly blocked her attack with his sword and flung her to the ground. Her body bounced once after the hard impact, but she still managed to roll over and get up despite the pain she was feeling. If she were in her top form, the impact wouldn't have affected her as badly.

Nels jaw clenched as her fingers dug into the soft dirt in frustration. This was taking too long- and she didn't like to be toyed with like a plaything! Albel watched patiently as she reclaimed her daggers and arose to her feet. It was obvious that he wasn't going to attack her. If she were to fall, then it would be from exhaustion. It would be dishonorable if not embarrassing if she died on her own without Albel having to strike her once. She didn't have enough mental energy left to cast a cure spell on herself and her wounds were severely holding her back. She wasn't going to last much longer

"Why are you holding back? Afraid to fight a woman?" she sneered at him before planning one more assault in her mind, "Fight me! Or are Glyphian men are as cowardly as a Menodix?"

There was a faint smirk on his face as his two toned hair obscured his eyes from her view, "If that is what you wish..."

"Flying Guillotine!" It was a successful hit and he did look surprised as the dark flying disk slashed some of the skin on his right arm, but then he was able to knock it back with his claw arm. After that he seemed to have disappeared. Before she knew what was happening, his good arm wrapped around her waist and roughly pulled her to him. Her back was pressed against his hard chest as his claw arm came up before her body.

"Vampiric Flash!" She couldn't escape from his grasp and was doomed to take the full force of his battle technique. It felt as if her life was being drained from her and before she could curse Albels existence, her vision faded to black.

Albel quickly let go when she fell limp in his arms and knelt down to inspect. She was still alive, but barely. She still had enough life to survive, but she needed rest to regain her mental energy. He then moved her body so that she was lying on her back and then brushed the stray red hairs from her face. She looked serious even when unconscious, though it probably wasn't her fault with all the war nonsense going on. It truly was a pity that she wasn't from Airyglyph. She seemed more useful to him than at least twenty of his soldiers.

He soon sheathed his sword before collecting her fallen daggers and replacing them within their respectful scabbards on the Aquarian. It would be a waste to kill her, especially when he knew that he would never get the chance to fight her when she was well, but then that was the way of war. Then again, who had to know that she was here? He could easily hide her until she was well enough to fight again. He didn't care about the kings order to report any intruders that came past the Glyphian border and he certainly didn't care about Vox's order to eliminate all enemies. As far as he was concerned, it was _his_ turf, so whatever happens was _his_ business. Plus he had always wanted to know more about the spy and he couldn't think of a better chance than now.

But first, Albel had to get rid of the unwanted worms- and of course have Nel's subordinates thrown out. He leaned down to scoop up the surprisingly light figure, careful to make sure that his claw didn't cut her. Once he was standing, he glanced at her face one more time.

"Nel Zelpher," he sighed with a sound of disappointment lacing his tone, "If only you were mine to take."

It was true that he had a long history of blood lust since his father's death, most likely because he constantly fought to prevent another tragedy from happening again. Many thought that Albel the Wicked's only love was for battle and figured that no person, especially a woman, would ever catch his eye. Women from Airyglyph never bothered to pick up arms and fight. They were only interested in attracting men and raising a family. But fighting alone wasn't enough of a quality trait for Albel, otherwise he would have settled himself with falling for men. He only held respect for people who were strong willed and determined. Nel certainly did fit that trait.

He wasn't thinking strength in battle when he began considering her as a worthy match. He noted that she was able to overcome any tragedy and not let her emotions affect her in battle. She lost so much in her past, much like he did and yet she was still fighting. But then one cannot overlook the fact that Albel was male and that admiring a female tended to shift into something more than admiration. He wanted more than to just fight her in battle. He wanted to be the one to claim her as his own. He just wanted her. Albel did not once think that his feelings for her were a sign of weakness because they were merely another form of a battle that he would have to struggle to win. Sure he could force himself on her, but it wouldn't be as fun without her enjoying as well.

But the fact remained that Nel belonged to the kingdom of Aquaria and she had no reason to trust him because he was her enemy. She was far out of his reach at the moment, like a forbidden fruit trapped behind a tall sturdy wall. Normally rules, orders, or forbidden weren't things that he'd observe and that would mean that nothing could stop him from taking her anyway. At least that was the norm, but he respected and admired her more than he would like to believe and thus held back his desires and urges.

Considering that his foolish second in command was holding the Aquarian worms hostage, Albel didn't think it was wise to barge in where everyone could see that he was carrying an Aquarian spy. Not if he wanted to keep Nel a secret anyway. He instead used a secret passage that led him to the top floor. All he had to do then was walk across the roof and make his way to his room unnoticed, but a certain distraction down below in the arena stopped him.

There were several of his troops down there being led by Shelby as they tried to attack two new intruders. The Wicked One remembered in the back of his mind that they were the engineers that everyone was making such a fuss over. They were doing an impressive job in fighting back the best of his men and protecting the weak Aquarians behind them. Apparently they were also here to rescue them. What a bother

Albel settled Nel's unconscious form down to lean against a column before glancing back at the fight. The engineers had defeated all of his men and were now taking on Shelby himself. Perhaps if the engineers were strong enough to defeat the annoying maggot, then they might prove to be an interesting challenge. Unfortunately though, they would be too tired to fight properly once they were through pummeling Shelby. He could tell them to go rest, but then what good reason would they have to come back? They might be the type to chicken out of a challenge once they reached the safety of Aquaria-

Suddenly a thought struck him. Perhaps Albel stole another glance at Nel before facing the fight again. Maybe he could use her to lure them back after they delivered the worms and prepared themselves. If the engineers were so soft hearted to go rescue the spy's subordinates, then they must care about rescuing Nel if they thought she was in danger. Plus, while he was waiting, he could get a chance to talk to the red haired woman and get to know her.

"Ha! He wasn't as tough as his talk," the large blonde man gloated when Shelby was defeated. Albel had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. The maggots sounded like a bunch of clowns...

"Pitiful..." he muttered loud enough for the engineers to hear him. They frantically searched around for him, worried about having to face another battle.

"Over here," Albel called out when it appeared that they couldn't find him.

"Another one!" the blonde man shouted as he went back into his fighting stance. Instead of taunting the engineers, Albel turned his attention to the still form of his second in command.

"How pathetic..." he drawled, not once moving from his spot from the roof, "Shelby was always strutting, preening his feathers, but to lose to the likes of you? Heh, once a maggot himself now hes food for the maggots."

He supposed that somewhere in his wicked heart that he was going to miss the large nuisance running around and making a fool of himself. But Albel never really held much love for Shelby and couldn't grieve too much (if at all) for his death. The engineers gave him strange quizzical looks as if he were insane or something. Albel scoffed in the back of his mind. They acted as if they didn't know who he was! Didn't all Aquarians know of Albel the Wicked? Or was it true that they were from Greeton?

Suddenly the violet haired Aquarian behind them coughed painfully, sounding more like a squeak than a cough, as she cast her gaze up to his form. Her eyes widened in fear and recognition, "...A-Albel Nox!"

He let out a smirk when he saw the fear spread from the violet haired worm to the other Aquarian maggot while the engineers continued to look confused. This time it was the young blue haired boy who spoke as he faced the Aquarians, "Who the heck is he?"

"He's the best swordsman in all of Airyglyph and Captain of the Black Brigade. He's better known as Albel the Wicked..." the spy with short dirty blonde hair responded weakly before the others faced Albel again. This time he let out a short chuckle. Awfully flattering words coming from an Aquarian. He wondered if Nel thought of him in such a high regard.

"Hey!" the blonde maggot shouted again, catching his attention, "I'm gonna smack that cocky look off your face!"

Albel couldn't keep back his laugh as he rested his foot on a high ledge and leaned his arm against the knee, "Bah, the maggot talks big!"

The larger man's glare worsened at the sarcasm. Albel continued, "You might have some potential, but you are no match for me."

"What did he just say!" The blue haired engineer was beginning to have a hard time holding back the blonde man. He certainly did want to fight...

"I'm not interested in fighting a bunch of tired fools. Easy wins have never been my style. And unlike Vox, I take no joy in trouncing weaklings."

Hopefully the fools would be able to understand what he was getting at, but then again neither seemed to be that intelligent.

"Who ya callin' a weakling?" the blonde man barked furiously. Such anger... and all that Albel did was giving them a chance to rest! Perhaps he _would_ have to use Nel after all. He shifted his position to stand upright and obtained a more serious expression. The time for joking was now over.

"Go back to your own lands and rest, fools. When you think you're strong enough come back and fight me." The Aquarians at least seemed relieved at the order, but the boy appeared to be unsure and the other engineer was still too hot headed to listen to reason.

"You're really going to let us go?" the blue haired boy inquired with uncertainty, "...What makes you think that we'll come back?"

"Well..." Albel shrugged nonchalantly as he moved out of the way to allow them to see his new captive, "...you want to rescue her, don't you?"

"Lady Nel!" The two women seemed to forget their pain long enough to express concern for their captain. Both engineers took a step forward in worry before casting angry glares at Albel.

"Let her go!" the young boy demanded.

"I will- when you come back to fight me," he smirked, almost evilly. Now it was the blonde man holding the boy back as he shook his head.

"But Cliff, he has Nel! We cant just leave her!" Typical! The boy was still too young and naive. He didn't understand the ways of war or of negotiations. Cliff, as the boy had called him, had finally come to his senses upon seeing the captive. Apparently he was the smartest of the fools. How ironic that the one with the most muscles ended up with the most brain

"I know. I cant say that this guy ain't crusin' for a bruisin', but we have to play by his rules until she is safely back with us," the Cliff maggot then moved his piercing blue eyes back up to Albel, "You promise not to harm her?"

"Feh, I just told you that I don't hurt the weak. You have my word that she will be in good condition when you arrive."

"Good enough for me. But remember, if you harm one hair on her head, then you're dead meat!" Albel chuckled at the notion of mere maggots pounding him to the floor, but didn't return a witty comeback or any reassurance that he was going to keep his promise.

"You cant be serious!" the blue haired boy yelled to Cliff as the muscled man turned to help one of the Aquarians to their feet.

"What choice do we have, Fayt? I really want to smash his face in, but we can't do that while Nel is in his hands. Plus, we got to get Tynave and Farleen to a doctor pronto. We can't be sure that they can make it back to Arias on their own."

Fayt seemed torn between helping Nel or her subordinates, but after the girls insisted that they could go on alone, he made up his mind and started helping the violet haired girl, "Fine, but lets be quick."

"Wait a minute," Albel called before he dug through his belongings and pulled out a rolled up parchment. He tossed the document down to the engineers where it rolled up to Fayt's feet. The blue haired boy carefully bent down, while he made sure that the Aquarian he was helping didn't lose her balance, and picked it up.

Go to the cave marked on the map. That's where you'll find me, he ordered as Fayt glanced over the contents. He acted like he was reading a foreign language, but pocketed the map anyway. Frankly the boy couldn't be that far off if he thought it was a different language. The map led to a recently discovered cave and one of Albel's subordinates made a poorly drawn sketch to map it and it was written in nearly illegible scrawl. It would take hours to decipher it, but at least it would give him time to prepare for their arrival.

"An how do we know this isn't a trap? You could be waiting there with a hundred of your soldiers," the blonde engineer asked with suspicion in his voice.

"And at the same time you could bring the Aquarian army," he countered with a look of indifference.

"Good point," Cliff muttered, "Well then, you promise you wont bring your army and we wont bring ours."

"Hn, not like I need the help of those worms to crush maggots like you," Albel replied as he turned away and picked up Nel.

"What was that! Come down here and say that hotshot!" Cliff threatened, but the captain of the Black Brigade ignored him as he carried the Aquarian spy with him to get away from the fools. After all, their stupidity might be contagious...

* * *

><p><strong>Note<strong>: As mentioned above, the rest of this chapter contains explicit sexual scenes and will not be posted on this site. Go to my author profile and click on the link 'For the Prosperity of Aquor' to see the uncut version and read future updates.

Chapter 3 is up next...because 2 has too much lemon to cut out and I only want to prove that this story IS being updated. Most people may have already read this chapter two years ago when I first started it.


	2. Sample 2

As stated before, this chapter is only proof that it's being updated and it reveals the theme of the story. I figured it wouldn't be nice just to post a sample of a chapter that some people already read a few years back. This is chapter 3 because 2 is too lemony to cut and post here. ...Also, chapter 2 was written by a guest author (Lorelai Kline) and I don't have her permission to post it outside of the site it's on. All of this chapter is clean though.

Just to give a summary of what you've missed in the second chapter, it's pretty much about how Albel manages to separate Nel from the others during the mission to get the copper for the Thunder Arrow. This time he does manage to claim her (because he didn't get a chance to in chapter 1) and he marked her on the neck.

One more thing: I apologize in advance for any punctuation mistakes left in here. For some reason, all of the commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks disappeared when I loaded this in the Doc Manager. I tried to replace all that I could notice, but I might've missed some.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or any of its characters. They are the property of SquareEnix

Chapter 3

Where Their Loyalties Lie

Nel was all business when the party arrived at Arias. The first priority was to get Tynave and Farleen to bed so that doctors could look them over and heal them. Along the way, she gave a report to Clair, who had been waiting anxiously by the gates of the city ever since they had left. She didn't once attempt to reflect on what had happened between her and Albel hours ago, though she had to keep her story straight, lest anyone would find something suspicious.

As far as everyone knew, Nel had passed out with everyone else when they came across the trap. She wasn't about to insinuate that she had been up the entire time, nor did she want anyone to figure out that she had spent almost four hours in the company of one of Aquaria's greatest enemies. She was ashamed with herself for what she had done. She _let_ Albel the Wicked seduce her and drag her off for passion while her companions lied there on the ground. What if a monster came by while they slept?

She thanked Apris fervently that everyone was safe and sound when she finally returned.

Deep inside, Nel was wracked with guilt and confusion over her actions, but she held it in as she coolly gave her status report. It was easy for the time being to worry about her subordinates and the fact that Airyglyph had information on their weapon. But she knew that once she had a moment to her thoughts, Albel was going to creep back in and she was going to have to face the consequences of her selfish and weak actions.

She desperately hoped that Clair would be too focused on Tynave and Farleen to notice her. Clair was like both a mother and a sister to her and she had an uncanny ability to sense when something was bothering her. But this time, Nel didn't think she could tell her about what happened. She didn't like keeping secrets from her, but for once the Crimson Blade was terrified. She couldn't bear to have her close friend think she was a traitor because she allowed herself to enjoy the attentions of a Glyphian.

Nel knew that her actions were treason against her country. If anyone knew of her tryst, then she would be branded a whore and a Glyphian loyalist. No one would trust her ever again.

She counted herself lucky when Fayt suddenly insisted that they move on and head back to Aquios. At least she wouldn't have to make any excuses as to why she wanted to leave quickly. But the gods were not forgiving to Nel.

"Nel, before you go, may I have a word with you? I understand that the completion of the weapon is urgent so I'll try not to take long," Clair requested in a respectful and calm manner. Nel resisted the urge to flinch as she detected that undertone of urgency that was hidden under the demeanor. She knew _something_ was wrong.

At first she didn't want to say anything and hope that Fayt would continue to rush them along, but she knew better than to run away from Clair when she was on to her. Instead, she sighed and resigned herself to her fate.

She turned to Fayt and Cliff and told them, "I apologize. I will meet you at the gates."

"Its okay. We should gather some supplies for the trip back anyway," Fayt said before he nodded and left the room with Cliff.

Nel closed her eyes for a brief moment before Clair brushed past her and asked her to follow her. Since they were already upstairs, they didn't have to go far to reach Clair's chamber. Once the door was closed, the red haired runologist kept silent and tried to hide her emotions, unlike the last time she was here. But her nervousness gave her away and her body unconsciously rubbed at her shoulder where Albel bit her.

"Are you okay? Do you need a healer?" Clair wondered when she noticed the gesture. Nel shook her head and slowly put her hand down.

"No, I'm fine. I'm still a little sore from the impact after the explosion," she lied, all while hoping Clair wouldn't pick up on it. She was just as good at detecting lies as the spy was.

"I see," Clair said slowly before she headed over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. She made a gesture to Nel to sit down next to her, but she shook her head again and insisted on standing.

The grey haired tactician kept a schooled face as she glanced at the nearest wall. "So...you saw Albel again."

It took all of Nels willpower not to appear surprised at her statement. For a brief second, she thought Clair outright accused her of sleeping with Albel, but then she realized that wasn't the case. She knew what had happened the first time Nel encountered the Wicked One and she was worried about how her friend would react upon seeing him again when they faced him in battle.

Nel bowed her head some so that her scarf would hide half of her face. "Yes, we did. I was shocked to see him since that time, but I was more furious when he kicked aside Farleen. I had no qualms in taking my daggers and fighting him to avenge them."

And yet not even an hour after that battle, she ended up somehow forgiving him and ran off to share her body with him. Come to think of it, for someone who was defeated, he recovered rather fast. Surely he didn't lose on purpose? No, his pain was real. He probably exaggerated it so that he could stop the battle and enact his sinister plan. But did that mean he could've defeated all of them if he wanted to? Why would he put on an act and humiliate himself like that? Was he really that desperate to get her alone?

"I would too. But I see that you spared him," Clair continued, with a slight smile.

"It was Fayt's idea, but I agreed with it," she replied, giving credit to the young engineer who called the order. Since Albel was merciful and let us go the first time we met him, I suppose Fayt decided to do the same unto him when he was unable to fight anymore.

"A dangerous act considering he could rise again to fight you another day, but I am glad that you did. Personally, I would like to see both sides spared from anymore death in this war," Clair commented with closed eyes before concern swept across her features. She then opened her eyes and stared directly at Nel. "But, given what he tried to do to you before, I am worried he might have recovered and violated you while you were unconscious. It would've been the perfect opportunity for him to do so."

Suddenly, Nel came to a fork in the road. If Clair was willing to believe that she had been unconscious the entire time, then she could just accuse Albel of taking her without her knowledge or consent if she had to undergo a virginity test. She could be forgiven for the act if it was done against her will But she couldn't sully Albel's name like that. He already had a bad reputation in her country and he didn't need 'rapist' added to it.

"I don't think he did. Hes not the type of man who would do something like that."

"How do you know? You were _supposed_ to have been unconscious," Clair stated, studying Nel with a sharp eye. She knew then that Clair was trying to ensnare her in a trap. She knew there was something about Nel's story that was a lie and she was going to use all of her mind tricks to get the truth out.

Nel had to be careful and thought through her next response, "I didn't have to be conscious to know that he didn't violate me in my sleep before. He didn't have to wait for me to wake up when I was his hostage, so he could have taken what he wanted long before."

"That is true," she admitted as she glanced away for a brief second, "But that doesn't mean you're completely ignorant of what happened. Your hesitation to reply means that you _are_ hiding something from me."

This time, Nel blanched at her slip up. She was trying so hard to throw off her friend that she forgot the basic indications of a liar. The only reason one would have to hesitate in replying was so they could think on something believable to cover the truth.

At her silence, Clair continued in a stern tone, "You were not unconscious, were you? Albel wasn't that far away from the accident and something _did_ happen between the two of you. Am I wrong?"

Nel couldn't stand seeing the look of disappointment in her eyes. That was exactly what she was trying to avoid. She knew she was being backed into a corner and had limited choices left to her. One choice was to continue to deny everything until Clair had no choice but to drop it or she could just let it out and tell her what she wanted to know.

She just couldn't lie to Clair anymore. It was wrong and she never was in the habit of doing so before. But before she could confirm her friends suspicions, she had to make it clear where she stood. She prayed to Apris that Clair wouldn't think badly of her or report her to the queen.

Nels eyes flashed with pain and fury before tears of frustration finally started to form in the corner of her eyes. "I'm not a traitor to Aquaria!"

Whatever Clair was expecting to come out of Nel's mouth, that wasn't it. Her golden brown eyes widened in surprise of the spy's outburst. "What?"

But Nel couldn't stop herself. She couldn't even reflect on the fact that her friend was confused as the words started tumbling out of her mouth.

"You're right. I wasn't unconscious and Albel seduced me. I tried hard to fight it, but I was too weak and we ended up Oh Apris..." Nel faltered for a brief moment, not wanting to admit her next words to _anyone_, including herself. "We had _meaningless sex_ and he left after he got what he wanted. There were no feelings involved and we were just caught up in the heat of passion. I would _never_ consider sacrificing the lives of our countrymen to the likes of _him_, nor would I _ever_ want to join Airyglyph's side!"

"Nel!" Clair shouted to get her attention, but the woman was almost to the point of hysterics. She had wanted to reflect Albel's intentions with her in private until she had time to come to terms with the fact that what they did had no meaning. Albel didn't love her and she _didn't_ love him. Now that he got what he wanted, he should leave her alone. So why did that thought bother her so?

"Nel!" Clair yelled again as she stood up and placed her hands on her shoulders to get her attention. "I know more than anyone that you wouldn't turn your back on Aquaria! I was merely angry that you were trying to lie to my face."

The tears started to fall then. Nel wasn't sure why she was crying. Was it out of relief? Anger? Shame? Loss? She couldn't pick which one. All she knew was that she was soaking Clair's shirt with her tears once again, just like that time after her first intimate encounter with Albel Nox. Clair just simply held her and gently patted her back in a motherly manner.

"Oh Nel," she sighed when her breath stopped hitching. She then pulled her away long enough to look her in the eye. "I think its time for you to start considering your feelings for him. What happened between the two of you wasn't just lust. It could've been any man if you wanted just sex."

"I know. I was just attracted to him."

"No, its more than that. You wouldn't let someone you were merely interested in pull you away from your injured comrades. There had to be something else, some connection you might not be aware of," Clair insisted as she tried to figure out the mystery.

As much as Nel wanted to deny it, Clair had a point. It wasn't like the Crimson Blade to abandon her mission or her friends so there had to be _something_ there that allowed her to follow him. But what? Surely she wasn't in love with him? No...she could safely say that she wasn't. She barely knew him outside of battle, her spy work, and those two close encounters she had with him. Of course, she was no expert when it came to romance or love, but she knew that there had to be more than good looks, pleasure, and (as Clair had put it) a mere interest to say that she was in love with someone.

There was something about him or something he said that made her pause. If only she could remember what But she did distinctly remember that there was a point during their first encounter when she stopped fighting him and practically accepted his attentions. And come to think of it, didn't it happen again a few hours ago when he seduced her? At the time, she was more focused on the sex and the feeling of satisfaction she got in the aftermath to really remember it.

But before she could really think any deeper about the cause of her behavior, she realized that she was holding her hand over her chest. It was where she had hidden the note he left her. She quickly jerked her hand away from the area before Clair could notice. Maybe the answers were hidden in that note if she read it over again

"I don't know if there is a connection or anything, but it doesn't really matter. He got what he wanted and the next time Ill see him is on the battlefield," Nel eventually responded as she started focusing on her mission. She couldn't forget that she had obtained the copper to finish a weapon that was supposed to defeat Airyglyph's armies. There was a good chance that Albel would be in the crossfire and he would most likely die from it. It wasn't the most pleasant thought, but facts were facts. She had to get over him soon enough because she didn't intend to grieve.

Clair took on a saddened look as she finally backed away. "That is true, but we will still be needed to fight in between firings. If you happen to cross paths with Albel out there, would you be able to strike him down?"

That was a good question. If the events from before had never happened, then she would have no hesitation or regrets in slaying him...provided she was _able_ to. She knew long before that he was a skilled warrior and that a fight between them would be difficult to win. But...

"My duty is to my people. If he should die as a result of me trying to protect them, then so be it," she resolved, even though a part of her disagreed with that line of thought. She would do anything in her power to protect Aquaria and the queen and no one, not even her..._lover_, could stop her. She could always pray that they wouldn't have to cross paths ever again, but she figured it would be unlikely. He lived for the battle and she knew he wouldn't miss it.

With her mind set, her emotions calmed, and Clair accepting her decisions without judgment, Nel walked over to the door with the intent to leave. But she had one more thing to say to her silver haired friend.

"I'm sorry that I tried to keep this from you. I should've known better. Thank you," she said gratefully as she glanced back at her. How could she think that Clair would turn against her after so many years of hearing her secrets and her problems? They've known each other since they were kids and she and her father, Adray, were all that Nel had left of her past. She just couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her and losing her as a friend after she _swore_ that she would control her hormones.

Clair shook her head and tried not to appear grim. "You had every right to be afraid. Had you been anyone else, I would have reported you and have you removed from active duty. But I trust you, Nel, and I know that you will do the right thing. I just wish that it didn't have to be this way. After all that you've done for this kingdom, you deserve to be happy."

A bittersweet smile managed to appear on Nels face as she raised a hand to the doorknob. Clair was one of the few people who actually cared about her and she wouldn't trade the friendship she had with her for anything. But, she still worried about her too much.

"Don't worry about me. Like my father before me, I'm happy as long as I can protect the people of this kingdom." And with that, she left her longtime friend to meet up with her traveling companions and finish her mission.

* * *

><p>It was bitter cold in the dungeon. They only lit a few fires to keep the prisoners from catching illnesses or frostbite, but it was still cold enough to be a form of torture. The room Albel was in was no less cold or dim. Though he could suspect that the coals burning in the corner of the room would be used for purposes other than warming soon enough.<p>

Albel wasn't sure who reported back to Airyglyph before he did, but once he arrived in his hometown, he was immediately arrested and chained up in the torture room in the dungeons. His crime? Treason of all things! The very notion was laughable. It was true that the engineers and Zelpher got away with the copper, but he was defeated in battle fair and square Well not _completely_ fair since it were three above average warriors fighting against one.

Nobody saw what he did to the party after they left him there, nor was anyone aware that he managed to pull his woman back to the refinery for some quality time together. The only reason he was being accused was because he was the only survivor to make it back from the Bequerel Mine. Everyone else, including Vox's second in command, died by the hands of Nel and the engineers.

In a way, Albel could see a legitimate reason to believe that he was committing treason only if they knew of his personal meeting with the woman he marked and claimed as his wife. But even if they _did_ know, it didn't mean that he was turning against Airyglyph. It was no one's business but his own whom he chose to love and the fact that she was the enemy of his kingdom made little difference to him. Sooner or later, the war will end and he knew that he and Nel would both survive. She was too skilled and strong to die at the hands of some pathetic knight.

It was only a question of which side will win. The kings goal was only to unite the entire continent so the death of Aquarian citizens was not part of the plan. If Vox had any say of the aftermath, then he would probably push for some of the enemy troops to become slaves. That was fine with him if it did happen. Albel would just simply step forward and take possession of Nel before anyone else could try. But if Aquaria won...that would be a different story.

He had no real animosity over the enemy kingdom. The only thing that bothered him was that they _knew_ Airyglyph was starving and their traders and merchants intentionally raised the prices of their goods because the kingdom had no other choice. For a long while, the prices were not a problem until their mines began to run dry. With no valuable trade and the fact that merchants refused to lower their prices, Airyglyph was doomed to survive on what little crops their land could produce and any game they could hunt on the mountains.

As shocking as it was, that was Albel's reason for fighting. It wasn't just to prove that he was strong, but to protect the citizens of Airyglyph. Should Aquaria win the war, they would just leave them there to starve and rot. Airyglyph had nothing of value to them and their religion would prohibit them from slavery or mass slaughter of the enemy.

There were ways other than war that would've resolved their resource problem, but the die had been cast and there was no point in turning back. Though, he couldn't exactly complain about the war. He _did_ love a good fight and he could name some Aquarians that made interesting challenges. Also, it was _because_ of the war that he found a kindred spirit in the Crimson Blade that spied on his kingdom. He was certain that he would've never had heard of her or met her had the war never happened.

But regardless, Airyglyph _had_ to win. Albel swore that he would make sure of it. But first, he had to somehow clear his name and get out of the dungeons. That was going to prove to be a challenge since Vox was determined to prove that he was a traitor. He had even taken upon himself to question him personally without the Inquisitor.

_ Crack!_

Albel growled as a fresh sting of pain coursed through his body. Vox folded back the whip as he allowed Albel's newest cut to bleed.

"If you would just admit to your crimes, this will be over," the duke reminded him with a sinister grin.

"Whip me all you want, maggot. I'm no traitor to Airyglyph!" he sneered back at the arrogant man. Vox did so gladly and reveled at the cries of pain that Albel tried to suppress.

"You allowed the Aquarians to get away with the copper! Now they will finish their weapon and be more of a nuisance. How are we to believe the mighty Albel Nox was somehow defeated in battle and survived unless he had some kind of sympathy for the weak Aquarians?" he continued, using backwards logic as an attempt to cloud the truth.

"The engineers from Greeton were with them and they are quite formidable. They killed your worthless men, didn't they? I did what I could to stop them even though it was your men who had failed. If you ever bothered to train your troops properly, then they might've survived and succeeded," Albel spat out along with some blood. He was almost tempted to ask if Vox wanted him to die trying to stop them, but he already knew the answer to that question.

Still, as much as Albel loathed admitting it, the engineers _were_ rather skilled warriors. He originally hoped that Vox's men could _at least_ take care of them on their own so he could have Nel all to himself during the battle. He didn't anticipate that they would easily defeat the lackeys and come after him in a coordinated attack. It was the first time in a long time that someone other than the Aquarian spy managed to hurt him badly.

But he wasn't completely incapacitated when he fell. Albel's desire to get his woman alone drove him to swallow some of his pride and accept defeat. He _knew_ the worms were soft hearted enough to give him mercy ...but he did vow in the back of his mind to destroy them at a later time for the insults they've given him as they passed. He may not be able to defeat them all at once, but he knew he could take them one on one. All he had to do was goad one into a duel and they would soon fall by his blade

_Crack! Crack! Crack!_

Vox unleashed another volley of strikes because he didn't like Albel's reply. Somewhere deep down, he knew it was the truth. The duke was a formidable warrior like Albel, but he wasn't exactly the best leader. All he cared about was winning and forcing others to do anything necessary to succeed. He relied too heavily on his air dragons to do all of the work and the men who commanded them were pathetic on ground.

Though one couldn't exactly say Albel was the best leader either, considering his Wicked title came from how he treated his men. But, he _did_ make them go through proper training and his attitude towards them gave motivation for them to work hard, lest they die a horrible death, as he often threatened. It worked wonders and no one could dispute the fact that it was the _Black Brigade_ that successfully attacked Arias and did heavy casualties to runologists. The Dragon Brigade couldn't even come close because of the far ranged runological spells. All they could do was chase off the occasional Aquarian spies.

Albel let out several coughs as Vox tried to regain his composure. Personally, the duke thought his troops were more than enough to destroy Aquaria if given the chance, but he also saw value in the Black Brigade. That was why he tried to help Shelby take credit for the Aquarian hostages and for attempting to capture the fugitive engineers. Shelby would've been more cooperative as Vox's ally than the young upstart before him. Unfortunately, he was unable to detain Albel long enough and (as far as he knew) the hostages apparently managed to escape before he could arrive.

"It is obvious that your treachery was the result of the death of my men. Admit to your crimes!" Vox yelled as he struck Albel again.

This time he earned a howl of pain before the young captain gave him a glare worthy of demons. "I'm not a traitor! _I'm_ not the one who made up lies to start a war! _I'm_ not the one who condemned hundreds of brave Glyphian soldiers to die at the hands of Aquarians just because I think I can take anything by force. If anything YOU are a traitor to Airyglyph!"

That outburst unleashed a barrage of whip cracks as Vox vented his rage upon him. He continued to strike until he was tired and even then, Albel wouldn't give up and lie about his so-called crimes. There was almost no place on his body (other than his face) that didn't have some kind of red, oozing wound. He stung all over and his blood was seeping into his clothes. But what was most astonishing was that he didn't pass out.

Instead, he glared back at the duke with the same venom as before. Albel's voice was hoarse and his breathing was labored as he growled, "You're pathetic, maggot. You cant force me to say what _you_ want. Ive suffered worse pain than this and there is _nothing_ you can do to coerce me!"

Vox let out a shout of rage as he lifted the whip again, but he was cut off when a soldier entered the torture chamber.

"Lord Vox! The King summons you!"

The duke let out a mild growl of annoyance before he reluctantly folded the whip and placed it back where it was stored.

"Very well then. Leave this _traitor_ here and let him rot. Maybe that will teach him for turning against our kingdom."

"Yes sir," the soldier replied as he saluted.

Vox didn't spare a single glance at the chained man as he left the chamber, followed by the soldier. Albel watched him as he left and only closed his eyes to rest once he was well out of sight.

* * *

><p>Albel wasn't sure how long he had rested, but he was stirred when he sensed a presence in front of him. His crimson eyes met with the familiar sight of an old man in noble robes. Woltar stood stoically before him as he held a jar of salve in one hand.<p>

"Careful boy, this will sting," he warned as he gathered up the whitish gel with two battle worn fingers and started smearing it on the open wounds. Albel didn't hiss or flinch from the pain. The medicine was only a fraction of the sting the whip carried.

"When is my farce of a trial so I can clear my name?" Albel muttered as the old man worked on applying the salve to every cut.

"I am afraid that you will have to wait longer than usual. With you unable to take my side, Vox has managed to convince the King to launch a full scale attack upon our enemies and put an end to the war."

"What?" Albel hissed in shock as everything suddenly fell into place. He lowered his head so that his hair could obscure his eyes. "I see...so this was just some excuse to get me out of his way."

In truth, Airyglyph could've launched a massive attack the day Vox accused the worshipers of Apris of planning to assassinate the king. But it was because of both Albel and Woltar disagreeing with Vox that made the king hesitate to give the order. The old man and the young captain knew that such an assault would wield more casualties than results, but they could do nothing to stop the lies that flowed from Vox's mouth. Due to the tension that already existed, the lies pushed the king to the point where war was inevitable.

The king listened to his captains advice. He valued Woltar as a wise man who experienced the hardships of the kings before him. He respected Albel because he was the son of the man who supported him and helped him ascend the throne. But Vox was his uncle and because of that shared blood, his words held more power than Albel and Woltars individually. So with Albel locked away, Vox easily convinced the king to concede to his plans despite Woltars protests.

"Indeed," Woltar agreed, "Vox knew that you would be able to prove your innocence with a trial and sought to delay it long enough for him to influence the King. We all know that your network of spies has done their fair share of information gathering for our cause. And I know that you have been keeping your sights closely upon Nevelle Zelpher's daughter. It was because of you that Vox knew the Aquarians needed copper. Clearly you are no traitor."

Albel hid his growl. He didn't intend for _Vox_ to know about Nels movements, but it was true that he had his own team of spies, just as Woltar did, and they were watching the Aquarians just as closely as the Aquarians were watching them. Vox was the only one who didn't have spies working for him. He thought they were a waste of time considering that it would be easier to just crush the enemy than to allow them the chance to plan a defense.

"Now that Aquaria has their weapon. What are the chances of our army winning?" Albel wondered idly. He was seething on the inside that he was going to be denied the chance to fight. How could he personally ensure that Airyglyph won if he had to remain locked up in the dungeon? For all he knew, his men would probably bumble about and lose without him to lead them.

"It depends on the timing. If we could avoid the first strike, then we could close the distance and destroy those who can wield the weapon. The rest is up to Vox, though I regret to inform you that he has taken command of your brigade and intends to sacrifice them in order to draw fire away from his brigade."

"WHAT?" Albel yelled in fury, "That miserable _maggot_!"

Albel didn't believe in using sneak attacks or sacrifices. He preferred crushing his enemy with his own strength and skill without petty tricks. Sacrificing his men was not only a waste of life, but a way to weaken their own defenses. Should his brigade fall, then all that would be left for defense was Woltar's Storm Brigade. The Dragon Brigade was clearly too incompetent for any real defense.

Woltar let out a long tired sigh as he closed his eyes. For a brief moment, he seemed even older and more ragged than before. "If only your father did not relinquish his claim to the throne. Things would be different if he were king-"

"Stop. Don't bring _that_ up, old man," Albel growled threateningly. It wasn't a well-known fact, but the Nox clan had a direct lineage to Airyglyph I, the first king of their country. The proof was in the fact that the heir of the clan had always wielded the Crimson Scourge-the royal treasure Airyglyph I himself once held when he became king. Had Glou Nox not been so humble and sought for the prosperity of Airyglyph, there would have been a chance that he would be alive today and that Albel would've been crown prince.

"Yes, you are right. There is no need to reflect on things that cannot be undone. But know this boy: The only reason you are here is because you are the son of the man Vox hates the most," Woltar warned, staring directly into Albel's eyes. The Wicked One had nothing to say to that. He knew that fact quite well.

Vox was once the second in command of the Dragon Brigade, under his father. Vox wanted nothing more than to surpass his captain and gain power. The miserable worm even tried to claim the Crimson Scourge for his own when his father died, but the sword found him unworthy. Considering that the sword was known to make those unworthy go mad, it made a little sense. Vox's actions were that of an insane man with a thirst for power.

Even now, he still hated Albel's father because he was never really able to surpass him. It wasn't inconceivable to assume that he was pretending Albel was Glou when he was torturing him. In his mind, it was the only way to hurt the man from beyond the grave.

"It is time for me to prepare for battle. Do you have any requests that I might fulfill for you out on the battlefield?" Woltar offered kindly as he began walking toward the door.

"Zelpher," he muttered out in a subdued tone. "Try not to kill her. I want her sent to the dungeons and chained over there."

He gestured to the wall across from him with a single nod from his head. One of the old mans eyebrows shot up as he tried to figure out the odd request.

"Do you wish to see her tortured?" he wondered with interest.

"No. I want us to suffer together," he replied before he bowed his head and closed his eyes.

His answer surprised the aged warrior. Suddenly he was beginning to understand why Albel had been paying close attention to the spy. Albel the Wicked was lonely and he wanted to share his life with someone who would understand him. He didn't just have affections for the Aquarian, he wanted her to experience everything he did. His request spoke volumes.

Woltar knew then that the boy had a great deal of respect and admiration for the girl, even if his request was a bit selfish. He wanted to condemn her to the same torture he was going through, but at the same time, he wanted to allow her to see his suffering. That was a privilege no one had since his fathers death.

"If I am unable to grant that request, then I will at least give her a swift and painless death," Woltar promised as he continued his trek to the exit.

"That's fine, as long as you give her an honorable warrior's death." And with that, Albel went back to sleep.

It pained Woltar to hear how accepting he was over the possibility of the Aquarians death. But that was the way of war and the consequence of falling for the enemy. The aged warrior wasn't much of a religious man, but he said a little prayer in hopes that by some miracle it would be answered. He prayed that Albel could either find happiness again with another, or that Nevelle's daughter could manage to survive in the coming battle.

* * *

><p>That's all! If you want to read more, then you'll have to go over to adultfanfiction(dot)net. I'm updating there weekly (usually on a Sunday or Monday). If you have been skipping my notes up until now, then I'll say it again: go to my author profile and click on the 'For the Prosperity of Aquor' link to read the full, uncut story. Also, if you do happen to go read the fic, please do leave a review and tell me how I'm doing. I do listen if anyone points out errors. It helps me grow as a writer. :D<p> 


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